peaks

Peaks are high points that stand above surrounding terrain or data, and the term is used in geography, statistics, and signal processing. In geography, a peak is the pointed summit of a mountain or hill. The distinction between a peak, a summit, and a crest is often subtle and depends on local naming conventions and topography. The height of a peak is described by elevation, usually measured above mean sea level. A complementary concept is prominence, the minimum vertical drop required to reach a higher peak, which helps distinguish independent summits. Isolation denotes the distance to the nearest higher peak.

Peaks are identified and catalogued by topographic surveys and mapping agencies. In mountainous regions, peaks are often organized into ranges or massifs, with prominent summits acting as landmarks for exploration, weather, and ecology. Notable peaks include Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, along with other major summits such as K2, Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, and Denali.

In data analysis and signal processing, a peak is a local maximum in a function or time series, where the value exceeds neighboring points. Peak detection is used in applications ranging from economics to biology and engineering, and relies on methods such as derivative tests, smoothing, and thresholding.

There are also specialized uses of the term in acoustics (sound peaks), statistics (mode-like peaks in distributions), and other fields where a peak signifies a maximum or high point within a defined domain. The concept of peaks thus encompasses natural landforms and abstract high points in data sets.